English for IT
The English for IT course is suitable for a wide range of test candidates, not just those with an interest in the fields of information technology. In fact, any person who needs to work with IT, either with IT specialists such as programmers or network administrators, needs to be able to communicate effectively with them.
Even a person who simply uses a computer in their work will benefit from an increased knowledge of IT terminology in the English language. The English for IT course is aimed at the following non-native English speaking target audiences:
• Late-stage K12 and Higher Education students and IT professionals early in their careers
• Software developers, network engineers, security engineers, product managers and IT support who want to work in an international, multicultural environment
• IT specialists who want to start working in multinational or English-speaking companies
• Non-IT employees working in the IT sector
Objetivos
The objectives were decided after rigorous Job Task Analyses with all SMEs were carried out to determine the most important English language skills required for a student wishing to progress from an English language level of B1 to B2. These skills were then matched to suitable “Can Do” statements from the Common European Framework Reference (CEFR). The Common European Framework Reference is a comprehensive set of positive statements that describe what a language speaker can do at a particular level. For example, at level B2, a language speaker: Can understand the main ideas of complex text on both concrete and abstract topics, including technical discussions in his/her field of specialization. (Council of Europe, 2001. Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press., p. 24) Since its inception in 2001, the CEFR has become a global standard for assessing language level skills and has been successfully and accurately mapped to many other language level scales, including the Pearson Global Scale of English (GSE). This is important because not all standards are recognized in all territories, but since they are mapped to each other, it is easy to convert from one scale to the next and be confident that the English for IT course will perform as designed. The Pearson Global Scale of English has made available its Teacher Toolkit to any person wishing to search for “Can Do” statements. Not only can the user search for specific levels, but they can also search for the skills related to specific jobs. The search for IT-related “Can Do” statements resulted in a list of 82 skills. Those skills were then rewritten into 12 objectives and 29 sub-objectives, spread across the three sections. This was possible due to the highly flexible nature of the CEFR “Can Do” statements, which can be used as-is, or after being modified to suit individual needs. As the CEFR states, “the framework should be open and flexible, so that it can be applied, with such adaptations as prove necessary to particular situations.” (Council of Europe, 2001. Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press., p. 7)
Duración
60 horas
Online
Programa
English for IT 1
Module 1
After completing English for IT 1 Module 1, the student will:
- have an understanding for how to use the passive voice
- be familiar with relative pronouns
- know how to use the past simple with the phrases “as if” and “as though”
- be able to use vocabulary related to user experience
- be familiar with the concepts of supplier evaluation modules, and be able to follow in-depth texts on the subject
Module 2
After completing English for IT 1 Module 2, the student will:
- be aware of the Emphatic Do and its uses
- have acquired knowledge of dependent prepositions
- have listened to vocabulary relating to Network Engineering, and understood its uses in context
- be familiar with the concept of job roles and responsibilities, and have completed practice exercises with relevant vocabulary
Module 3
After completing English for IT 1 Module 3, the student will:
- appreciate the concept of using conjunctions to start a sentence
- have amassed knowledge of how inversion works
- have further experience of modal verbs, specifically using “ought to” and “should” for suggestions and advice
- understand vocabulary used in Software Engineering in the context of analyzing factual information, as highlighted in a listening exercise
- have read and absorbed information relating to compilers and interpreters, and have learned key vocabulary through themed exercises
Module 4
After completing English for IT 1 Module 4, the student will:
- have assimilated concepts relating to polite requests, using adverbs to express frustration, add seriousness and convey priorities or urgency
- have obtained an appreciation of idioms and their many uses and applications in IT scenarios
- have listened to idiomatic phrases in use in the context of a Customer Support situation
- understand the importance and benefits of asking customers questions, as demonstrated in a reading exercise which utilizes key Customer Support vocabulary
Module 5
After completing English for IT 1 Module 5, the student will:
comprehend subtleties, such as controlling directness, in the use of Imperative Instruction
have had practice of adverbs, specifically with adverbs of possibility, such as “certainly”, “definitely” and “supposedly”, and understood their uses
- have had further practice of adverbs, specifically adverbs of probability, such as “obviously”, “likely” and “surely”, and understood their uses
- recognize key vocabulary relating to fraudulent calls, as demonstrated in a listening exercise relating to Security
- grasp the concept of an Information Security Policy, and how its scope can vary depending on necessity
Module 6
After completing English for IT 1 Module 6, the student will:
- recognize and be able to differentiate between the applications of the future perfect simple and the future perfect continuous tenses
- be familiar with the common phrase “to be on the point of something” and its past tense forms incorporating gerunds, and its use in talking about interruption or prevention
- have completed relevant vocabulary exercises and watched a Security Officer Interview, in a two-part video, involving detailed listening practice relating to the role of information security, dealing with clients, and the integrity of information
- be familiar with Pegasus and the vocabulary pertaining to its many uses and characteristics, having completed reading and vocabulary exercises
English for IT 2
Module 1
After completing English for IT 2 Module 1, the student will:
- understand the concept of the subjunctive mood, having watched an instructional video and completed exercises which highlight its uses
- have knowledge of how to apply modal verbs when making logical deductions
- be familiar with conjunctions, using “since” as an example
- have listened to a Network Engineer Training Session and completed relevant vocabulary exercises
- recognize key phrases such as network convergence, granularity and scalability, and how they pertain to Network Protocols.
Module 2
After completing English for IT 2 Module 2, the student will:
- understand the uses of the present continuous tense when talking about the future and expressing negative ideas.
- have knowledge of polite requests, how they differ from the imperative form, and why formality and politeness are sometimes necessary
- have completed vocabulary exercises and had listening practice pertaining to Customer Support and dealing with feedback
- grasp the differences in formality in emails, having read a Customer Support text and completed an exercise featuring key vocabulary
Module 3
After completing English for IT 2 Module 3, the student will:
- comprehend the singular “They” and its uses when gender is irrelevant
- be familiar with the uses of “Yet” when speaking emphatically about surprising, positive or negative things, using superlatives and expressing frustration
- be aware of camel case and snake case, and other key vocabulary, having listened to a Software Engineering exercise about a test report
- have read about Unix and Ubuntu, and other software operating systems, and completed an exercise relating to software options
Module 4
After completing English for IT 2 Module 4, the student will:
- have knowledge of transitive phrasal verbs, how their objects are necessary, and how they can be separated effectively
- be able to use cleft sentences, and understand the idea of fronting by moving adverbial phrases
- have awareness of software issues and concerns, and be able to use key vocabulary, having listened to an exercise about following a plan of action
- have read about cloud computing, and incorporated relevant vocabulary into their understanding of the various systems involved
Module 5
After completing English for IT 2 Module 5, the student will:
- be able to make comparative sentences using the conjunctions “while” and “whereas”
- have gained an appreciation of the many uses of “always”, and be able to use it for chance, possibility, frequency, and in typical situations
- understand the relevance of redundancy and support contracts in relation to network reports, and have completed vocabulary exercises based on a video interview
- have read and understood a network-related email explaining such things as EAP mechanisms, and learned other vocabulary
Module 6
After completing English for IT 2 Module 6, the student will:
- have had further practice of modal verbs, specifically, how they can be used in polite phrasing to suggest possibility and to reduce directness
- recognize the differences and similarities between “even if” and “even though”, and how they can be applied like “whether or not” and “despite the fact that”
- understand the basic differences between the past simple and the past perfect tenses
- have listened to part of a Product Management sparring session, and adopted phrases such as minimal viable product, total addressable market, and brand awareness
- have read about sharing feedback and updating colleagues, and absorbed such phrases as burning issue, break down, and reshuffle
